To jump teams or not?

[ndame88]

We were kinda in the same boat when I posted the below a couple of weeks ago, as much I as I hate the message it sends to a young girl about not finishing what you start, we switched teams based on what would give my DD the most playing time to improve her game.

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/being-softball-parent/25635-what-point-do-you-approach-coach.html

 

[canyonjoe]

Are the coaches parents of the younger kids? At some point if you have older and younger you will need to break off and move up and they will stay down forcing you to go anyway. If you are committed through the rest of the year I would stay, but if you have until next August and don't think it's going to work out it's probably best for everyone if you go. I would rather have 10 players who want to play than have players just hanging around because they feel they need to be there.

 

[Rambler34]

So, what are we saying here? Is this really the default answer to every travel-ball dilemma?

"I owe my friend $5,000, but I didn't sign anything, and my DD needs money for college, so I've got to do what's best for her. .... ''

I'm not saying the case presented by the OP would be an example of this, but I hope y'all don't really mean it's OK to say, ''I'm breaking my promise, I'm taking advantage of you, I'm hurting other people, but I have to do what's best for my DD because that guides every decision I make.''

My thoughts are along the line of keeping our DD's in a detrimental situation. These decisions should also not be made because of a parents desire to make their child a star or jump to a higher org for prides sake.

 

[YOCOACH]

There are times in life when it's better to take one for the team.

CB, you and I see eye to eye on many things. On other subjects, we may not see eye to eye on the subject and/or opinions that we hold, however, I respect that opinion nonetheless. On this I disagree with you when it comes to TB for several reasons. First and foremost and although this may not be the case today, with all of the levels/ divisions that most of the ABC divisions have in order to put as many players under their rosterred player list as they possibly can and raise huge amounts of revenue TB has been watered down IMO. TB used to be, on the whole, where upper level players used to congregate and play serious SB. I'm not saying that has changed at the upper levels, i.e. Gold, Elite, A etc. but I am saying that with the advent of "B" and "C" levels, almost anyone can play TB today at some level. In our area, "C" level is where the rec teams basically play whether it's an All-star team or a regular rec team yet since they travel 20 minutes to the next town over, it's considered TB.

TB used to mean, for the most part, top notch coaching. Now you have many parents whose knowledge is sorely lacking and are wearing rose colored glasses as to their DD's skill level starting their own team and suckering in mostly former rec ball players and their families under the TB namesake. Yes they don't normally last more than a season if that, but the fact still remains that these teams are thinning out the talent level of other teams since they will invariably get at least a few quality players from other organizations.

In the OP, this may or may not be happening I don't have all of the details nor do you. That said, the case still remains that poor coaching is still poor coaching and letting higher skilled players suffer under the guise of the TB title is wrong. A good coach will cater to all of the skill levels of his/her players throughout a properly planned and structured practice via drills. Granted, the family themselves are responsible for more of their DD's SB skills development by practicing at home but they still need guidance as to what to practice, how to practice it (proper drills) and most importantly, the proper fundamentals to achieve the desired goals of the drills. If the players aren't receiving that coaching/instruction, then the player and family needs to move on. No ifs, ands or buts.

Secondly, I disagree with this position simply because most TB coaches are out for a winning season to try in order to retain as many players as they can for the following year. Again, for the most part in our area, many TB coaches are nothing more than managers of talent. IMO, it takes a real coach to develop players and many I see today in our area simply don't know how. They recruit and do so heavily in order to get that winning season and bragging rights. I strongly believe that in our area, our organization is one of two that actually develop their own players at the TB level and that is the reason that we have almost a 90% retention rate. Those that do leave usually try to make their way back but many don't make the cut since loyalty goes both ways and if their position was filled and the girl that took it returns, then they're SOL unless there's another opening.

The third reason ties directly into the first two. Since you have poor coaching (IMO) and the coaches aren't developing all of the players to a certain standard, and many don't know how in the first place and always keeping their eye out for a better replacement, their is no loyalty shown to players thus, none is due IMO in return. IF the OP's DD is set on playing this game at a high level which is not indicated one way or the other in the OP itself, then they need to find the best coaching available in their area.

Lastly, please do not take this as an indictment on the entire TB level of play. It isn't meant to be. It is simply my experiences over the last 12 years of coaching at both the rec and TB levels in our area. Yes, I've taken my teams both near and afar but that doesn't mean that it's not the same in other areas. Also, there is a level of play that the managers of talent and great game mangers come into play. You will find usually, but not always, find them at the pinnacle of the older elite levels of SB.

However trying to develop a 10 YO team by managing the talent will not succeed as you well know. Trying to "coach up" the weaker players to the exclusion of the better talent/more developed players won't work either. Sooner or later the more developed players will leave. Better to do it now, early in the season so the team has a better chance of finding a replacement than when the tournament season starts in the Spring.

There is certainly a time and a place to take one for the team. Certain situations such as DD isn't getting the PT many parents think they deserve or similar reasons, I agree, honor the commitment, finish out the year and move on. However, poor coaching should be a deal breaker at any level of play, rec included. I feel if you're going to coach a sport, even at the rec level, the coach has taken on the responsibility to learn everything (or as much as possible) about the game they chose to volunteer coaching for. After all, how many of our regular posters are rec ball coaches that show some very interesting insights and certainly an excellent level of knowledge about the game? How many newly "minted" parent coaches are lurking in the shadows on here trying to become the best coach they can? How many of us coach and/or coached at a higher level and freely share their knowledge? IMO, these are the real coaches and know how to develop players (or will)...all of their players... no matter the skill level.

 

[CoogansBluff]

There is certainly a time and a place to take one for the team. Certain situations such as DD isn't getting the PT many parents think they deserve or similar reasons, I agree, honor the commitment, finish out the year and move on.

So we agree.

In quoting you, I was not challenging your philosophy, but your choice of words. We'd probably do the same things. I just think these dilemmas can be very complicated from an ethics standpoint, and if we just say - ''Always do what's best for your daughter'' - I fear some will take that too literally, as license to justify some pretty selfish, cut-throat behavior. That's all I meant. The fact that the OP brought up the issue for discussion suggests he's taking the time at least to consider everyone who is effected, which I applaud. Not everyone does that.

 

[grcsftbll]

Sometimes what's best for your child is to teach them a life lesson in doing the right thing. Hopefully parents see that as much as part of their development into functional members of society as they do what position they play on their softball team (it's actually a lot more important).